Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 1003

Miss Brolignans and Miss Audrey looked well. Thanks to the boy Peter's swift departure, the Cursed Item hadn't inflicted any permanent, irreparable harm upon them. They had recovered remarkably well, a vast improvement from the pale complexions they'd had when Jenkins brought them over last week. Hearing a large group of footsteps behind her, Miss Audrey turned, spotted Jenkins, and beckoned him over for a chat.

So Jenkins parted ways with his colleagues, who were heading off to dinner, and walked over to his divination teacher.

The gloomy rain had given way to fine weather. The downpour had temporarily dispersed the fog, allowing the evening sun to stream down and cast a brilliant golden sheen on the temple roof.

"I hear you were just treating the wounded?"

Miss Brolignans asked.

Jenkins still felt not an ounce of warmth toward the woman.

"Have you ever considered that when destiny arrives..."

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"Jenkins, we've been staying at the Sage's Church for a while now. We're mostly recovered and plan to leave this weekend. Please come to my place this Sunday. Our lessons have fallen quite far behind."

As she spoke, Miss Audrey tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, simultaneously giving her teacher a look that warned her against any further impractical notions.

"Alright, I understand. I'll be there on time."

He had intended to exchange a few more pleasantries before leaving for dinner, but then he remembered he had something he needed to ask. He cast a discreet glance around, confirming that apart from the cat on his shoulder, no other ears were listening in, then lowered his voice.

"Actually, I have something to ask you right now... Do you know about B-07-1-6233?"

"'The Uncertain Future'?"

Miss Brolignans recalled what the designation represented faster than Miss Audrey. Her brow furrowed instantly.

"You've encountered B-07-1-6233?"

"Yes, it happened last week. I saw some... unbelievable things, so I haven't told anyone else. I just want to know, how much of this 'Uncertain Future' is credible, and how much isn't?"

Neither woman answered Jenkins, but both frowned simultaneously. They exchanged a look, and it was Miss Audrey who spoke first.

"Jenkins, I assume you've read about this designation in the library of the Sage's Church. But the truth is, for certain numbered items or events, different churches keep different records, and some of those records are even contradictory."

Jenkins understood this. For instance, the records other churches kept on the Gate of All Things would hardly detail what lay behind it.

"Our church possesses a vast collection of materials related to fate and luck. Regarding B-07-1-6233, our understanding differs from that of other churches. The first thing to establish is this: fate is fickle, and mortals can never plumb all the secrets of the future. I mentioned this in our very first lesson, and I imagine you've experienced it for yourself by now. But that isn't to say we cannot see the true future. It means that even when we do, we are incapable of fully and correctly interpreting it. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Are you saying that divinations are often obscure and hard to decipher?"

"It's more than that. Fate is often misleading. Even if you see a direct vision of the future, you won't necessarily know what it signifies. Take B-07-1-6233, for example. In our records, it's described as an exceedingly rare, highly accurate divination ritual that occurs when an Enchanter achieves a state of resonance with the world."

It was Miss Brolignans who said this, and she gestured for Jenkins to think carefully about its meaning.

"So you're saying... B-07-1-6233 doesn't show the one who experiences it an 'uncertain future,' but actually has them 'travel to the future'?"

Jenkins offered this conclusion, though he was far from certain.

"That is the conclusion most diviners agree on, at least. This theory circulates only within our church; I doubt you could have heard such an... absurd conclusion from any other source. It's just that even though you saw it, mortals can never truly comprehend revelations from the future, even when they are presented with perfect clarity."

Miss Brolignans concluded.

She might have her flaws when it came to personality and behavior, but her knowledge of divination and prophecy was the most profound of anyone Jenkins knew. He trusted her conclusion.

"But I still don't understand. Suppose I met my future niece during B-07-1-6233—oh, yes, hypothetically, of course—and we had a conversation. Surely that means I will have a niece in the future with that exact appearance and voice. That's a very precise prophecy. I don't see where the potential for misinterpretation lies."

Jenkins still didn't understand.

"That's an interesting question. But, Williamette, you must understand that for those who experience it, their memories of the future become very hazy after B-07-1-6233 is over. They also have a convenient tendency to forget key pieces of information. It is fate's way of toying with people, and it means that mortals can never directly peer into the future through any means, for that is a privilege reserved for the gods.

If one day you could truly obtain precise information from B-07-1-6233, then it would mean..."

Miss Audrey smacked her teacher sharply on the arm. The older woman looked at her innocently but left the rest of her sentence unsaid.

Jenkins's mouth fell open slightly in surprise. If what they said was true, then he was destined to know a girl in the future, one who would call him "Uncle Williamette."

The future was uncertain. Before his conversation with the diviners, Jenkins had subscribed to the idea that observing the future would inevitably alter it. But Miss Brolignans had a point. Gods were not simple three-dimensional beings; it was quite possible their observation of the future had no effect on it at all. Gods were immortal. From that perspective, they had to be higher-dimensional beings existing outside the flow of time.

Mortals from any world Jenkins had ever known had never been able to fully grasp the mysteries of time. He figured that if he could become a god himself, perhaps he too could achieve such a feat.